Pokken Tournament- The Series
by Matthais Unidostres
Summary: Ash and Pikachu, along with Oshawott and Snivy, travel to the Ferrum Region to take part in the League. When they arrive there, Ash discovers a new understanding of his best friend, a peppy Battle Advisor and her Weavile, an aspiring Battle Trainer and his Lucario, the Team Rocket Trio's newest scheme, a mysterious girl, and a Mewtwo corrupted by the Shadows.


_**Author's Note:** _**This idea had been within me and lay almost forgotten on my USB drive since I first completed _Pokken Tournament's _****story mode. I never really had the drive to go all out on it and expand it into the full series. But I really didn't want this to go unseen, so I decided to just put it up and see if people liked it. I might continue it, but probably not. At least others will be able to see what my idea could have been. So then, let's check out this pilot episode!**

* * *

Ash Ketchum stood leaning against the railing of the boat, eagerly looking out at the approaching land. For the Kanto boy, he couldn't arrive at his destination fast enough. On his shoulder sat his Starter Pokemon and best friend, Pikachu, who looked just as eager to arrive as his Trainer was.

"This is it, Pikachu," Ash said with confidence in his voice, "This is one League that I know we can win!"

"Pikachu, Pika-pi!" the Pokemon said enthusiastically.

A tone rang out through the ship's PA system, and an announcer said, **"Attention please. We will be arriving at the Neos City Port in approximately 10 minutes. Please gather your belongings and prepare to disembark. Have your Ferrum League passes ready. You will be escorted to your hotel rooms, after which you will be taken to the Ferrum Training Gyms, where you will go through the Ferrum Battle Orientation as scheduled. Also, please remember that those inhumane capture spheres- *_ahem*_\- _Pokeballs_ are not allowed in the Ferrum Region, and will be confiscated and securely locked in the customs security annex upon your arrival. They will be returned to you at the conclusion of your stay in Ferrum."**

The man speaking muttered something that sounded like _"heartless, cruel, abusive. . ."_ before returning to his professional demeanor and saying, **"Therefore, it is recommended that you release your Partner Pokemon and your Support Pokemon from their Pokeballs at this time. Thank you, and have a pleasant stay in the Ferrum Region."**

Ash smiled at Pikachu and said, "No Pokeballs allowed, huh? I bet you like the sound of that."

Pikachu grinned and nodded, "Pi, pika pika pikachu!"

"Alright then!" Ash said, and he stepped back from the railing and took out two Pokeballs. "Come on out, you two!" Ash said as he tossed the Pokeballs up.

With two flashed of light, Snivy and Oshawott appeared on deck. Snivy smiled and calmly greeted Ash, while Oshawott smiled widely and spoke excitedly.

Ash bent down to the two Pokemon and said, "It was a hard choice, finding the right two Pokemon to bring. But that's what the invitation said to do, and I just know you two will be a big help to me and Pikachu." Ash pumped his fist in the air and said, "This is it! We're gonna win the Ferrum League!"

Pikachu, Snivy, and Oshawott all cheered.

* * *

_So, you say you wanna be the best_  
_Like no one ever was_  
_Well, if we work together on this quest_  
_We'll fulfill this common cause_  
_We will travel across the land_  
_Battling for the win_  
_'Cause I know if I take your hand_  
_It'll unlock the power within!_

**_Pokemon!_**  
**_Pokken Tournament!_**  
_It's me and you_

**_Pokemon!_**  
_There's nothing that we can't do!_

_**Pokemon**!_  
_Yeah!_

_'Cause we're best friends_  
_And our world we will defend!_

**_Pokemon!_**  
**_Pokken Tournament!_**  
_A bond so strong_

_True friends all lifelong!_  
_With Synergy we can't go wrong!_

**_Po-ke-mon!_**

**_Pokken Tournament!_**  
_Pokken Tournament!_

**_POKEMON!_**

* * *

**PT001- An Advisor's Welcome**

With Pikachu on his shoulder and Snivy and Oshawott on either side of him, Ash looked up at the impressive buildings that were the Ferrum Training Gyms.

"Woah! This is so cool!" Ash said.

"Pika. . ." Pikachu said in awe.

Ash and his Pokemon were part of a massive group of trainers and Pokemon, all headed down the road that forked off towards the two large buildings. Eventually, Ash and his team found themselves standing in a line. Even though the line was divided equally between the Speed and Power gyms, there were quite a lot of people there, and the lines weren't moving very fast.

Impatient, Oshawott stood in his tip toes and waved his arms, yelling angrily at the team in front of them. A Gengar with said team turned around and gave Oshawott a frightening stare. Oshawott gulped and backed up quickly, and he turned to look at the team behind him. He gasped when he saw a pretty little Eevee giggling slightly.

"Oshawott! Oshawott!" he shouted eagerly with hearts in his eyes.

A Fennekin jumped in between Eevee and Oshawott and bared his fangs at him, looking even angrier than the Gengar.

The hearts in Oshawott's eyes broke, and he sighed and turned away dejectedly.

Snivy gently patted Oshawott on the head and spoke soothingly to him. "Sniv sniv snivy," she said solemnly, not exactly sympathetic but understanding.

Ash got rid of the impatient frown he had on and said with a small smile, "Hey, I hate waiting too, Oshawott. But don't worry. It won't take that long. Besides, it'll be worth it!"

"Oh, excuse me! Please?" a voice said.

Ash turned to see a woman accompanied by a Weaville, an Umbreon, and an Espeon. What was really interesting about the woman was that the color scheme of her clothing seemed to match Weaville's coloration.

The woman nearly ran right into to Ash, just stopping short of a collision, and asked him excitedly, "Hey, you wouldn't happen to be Ash Ketchum, would you?"

Ash nodded, looking a bit confused, "Yeah. That's me. But how did you-?"

The woman smiled gleefully and laughed, "Ah-ha! I knew it! Okay, listen, um. . ." She calmed down a bit and said with a smile, "How would you like to skip this long line?"

Ash looked even more confused now. "Huh? What do you mean?"

The woman smiled in embarrassment and said, "Oh, silly me. I haven't introduced myself, have I? My name is Nia, and I'm a Ferrum League Advisor."

"Advisor?" Ash asked curiously.

"Pi-pika?" Pikachu echoed.

"Advisors are Battle Trainers who support other Battle Trainers by cheering them on, giving them hints, things like that. For a small fee, of course," Nia explained, "All of the other Advisors are in the Gyms carrying out the orientations. But when I heard that _you _were taking part in this years' Ferrum League. . . well. . . oh, I just had to see you personally!"

"Really? But why me?" Ash asked, still pretty mystified.

Nia looked around nervously at the other Trainers and Pokemon in the lines, who were giving them some strange looks. Nia let out a nervous laugh and said, "Hahaha! Um, maybe we should talk while we go. Come with me, and I'll give you the full orientation myself in a special arena that my Pokemon and I just love to train in."

Ash smiled and said, "Alright. That sounds awesome. Let's go!"

As the group left the line, they were completely unaware of the small cube shaped camera that hovered in the air above them with its tiny helicopter blades. The lens focused on Pikachu as the device slowly followed after them.

* * *

As the group walked, Oshawott quickly caught up to Espeon. With his cheeks red and a smile on his face, he nervously waved hello to the Psychic-type. Espeon turned to look at him, and she smiled warmly as she stroked his chin with her forked tail. Hearts appeared in Oshawotts eyes.

Umbreon watched the two, and he smirked.

Snivy watched the two, and she scowled.

Meanwhile, Nia, Ash, and their Partner Pokemon were more occupied with each other.

"It is such an honor to have you here, Ash Ketchum," Nia said.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand," Ash said, "How exactly do you know me?"

Nia smiled and shook her head. "Oh, Ash, you are way too humble. Do you have any idea how many times you've been on the news during your travels throughout seven regions? It's amazing enough to be in the top 3 in every League you've participated in, as well as the first Alolan Champion! But to have played a major role in stopping Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Galactic, Team Plasma, Team Flare, Team Skull, and the Ultra Beast invasion. . ." Keeping her smile, Nia took a level look at Ash and waved a finger at him, saying, "Ya know, I think the entire world owes its peace and safety to you, Ash Ketchum."

Ash was completely stunned as Nia's words sunk in. He had never thought about his exploits like that, and no one had ever presented it all to him like Nia had. Not only that, Nia didn't even know about all of his adventures with Legendary Pokemon, or how he'd actually saved many of their lives.

"Pika-pi?" Pikachu said quietly.

That snapped Ash out of his thoughts. He blinked, and he said to Nia, "I always try to do what's right. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing while bad guys were doing bad stuff, so I did whatever I could to help. Besides, I always had my friends to help, or someone more powerful would do most of the work. Like Zygarde during the battle against Team Flare. And whenever I did act, it was my Pokemon who always did most of the fighting."

Nia nodded and said, "Yes. But nevertheless, you still acted, as opposed to waiting on the sidelines. And while your Pokemon did do all the battling. . .well, you're the one who gave them strength."

Ash was silent as he couldn't deny that.

"Pikachu," cooed the Electric-type Pokemon.

Ash smiled warmly.

"We're here!" Nia said cheerfully.

Ash looked up and around him at the clearing in the midst of the woods. It was a good size for a standard Pokemon battle. Not too small, yet not too big. Pokemon could still dodge each other, but playing keep away wasn't a viable option.

Weavile put one claw on his hip in a sassy manner and said impatiently, "Weav weav weavile vile weave vile?"

Nia sighed and shook her head at the Pokemon. "Oh, Weavile. What am I gonna do with you?" she said in mock dismay.

Weavile put a claw on his stomach and pouted. "Weave weavile," he moaned.

Nia smiled and said, "Okay, how about this. After we're done, not only will you get your Pokepuff, but I'll also let you have a long nap back at the gym. No interruptions. Okay?"

"Weav weavile?"

"Yes, Spice flavored."

Weavile perked up at this and held his claws at the ready.

Nia nodded and said, "Okay! Now first things first." She turned to Ash and his Pokemon, who all looked a tad bit confused with what they had just witnessed.

"Uh, what exactly was-?" Ash began awkwardly.

"Oh, you'll see," Nia replied with a wink, "Now, in order to properly have a Ferrum Battle, you're going to need a few things. First, you'll need one of these."

Nia took a small, orange sphere out of the satchel on her belt. It looked like a Pokeball, only the symbol for the Ferrum Region was emblazoned on it where the button should be.

As Nia handed it to Ash, he said, "I thought Pokeballs weren't allowed in the Ferrum Region?"

"Oh, that's not a Pokeball. That's a Battle Capsule," Nia explained, "You see, Ferrum Battles can get really intense, so before a battle can begin, one opponent must throw their Battle Capsule, which creates a special shield in which the Pokemon can battle without worrying about destroying anything or hurting the Battle Trainers or any spectators."

Ash nodded, "Oh, I see."

"Yes. But more important than that, is this," Nia said as she took out a round, red, disk shaped object. "The Battle AR!" she declared.

"The Battle AR?" Ash asked.

Nia nodded, and she fingered the one that she wore over her right ear. "Time for a little history! You see, the Ferrum Region is special because it is filled with special minerals called Synergy Stones. These stones constantly emit Synergy Power, a mysterious energy that allows humans and Pokemon to connect on a deeper level. It also allows them to use special techniques and reach power levels beyond imagination during battle."

"Like Mega Evolution?" Ash asked excitedly.

"Exactly," Nia said, "That's why Ferrum Battles are so much different than Pokemon battles in the rest of the world. Synergy is very important to Ferrum Battles, so every Battle Trainer must wear a Battle AR containing a small Synergy Stone in order to have a Ferrum Battle. The Battle AR is essentially a headset that allows the Battle Trainer to be in constant contact with their Partner Pokemon. But the Synergy Stone inside also links the heart-rate and breathing of the human and Pokemon. It also helps sharpen the Battle Trainer's reflexes, makes them think quicker, and . . . well . . . many other things," Nia finished with a knowing smile.

She handed Ash the device, and he looked at it in wonder. "Wow, that all sounds awesome!" Ash then quickly fastened the device onto his right ear. "Okay, are we ready to battle now?" he asked.

"One more thing," Nia said, and she handed Ash a smaller, blue sphere that looked similar to the Battle Capsule. "Throw this Support Capsule during battle to bring out one of your support Pokemon into the fight, but more on that later. Are you and Pikachu ready to rock?"

Ash adjusted the brim of his cap and said, "We sure are! Right, Pikachu?"

"(Right, Ash!)"

Ash's eyes widened slightly in surprise, barely noticing Pikachu jumping off of his shoulder. Nia saw the look on Ash's face and chuckled to herself before running a good distance away along with Weavile, who was also snickering. Nia's two support Pokemon joined her, much to Oshawott's dismay and Snivy's relief.

Nia turned towards Ash as Weavile got in position and called out, "Battle Capsule ready, Ash?"

Ash snapped out of his shock and forced himself to focus. _"Must have imagined it," _he thought to himself. He held up his Battle Capsule and said, "You bet!"

"Then let it rip!" Nia said with excited glee.

"Alright! Go, Battle Capsule!" Ash called out as he tossed the sphere. It popped open in mid-flight, and it sent a beam of orange light straight up into the air. It then split into four beams, which came down to form a dome-shaped shield that made a glowing ring on light on the ground.

"Now, push the button on your Battle AR to turn on the microphone and augmented reality features," Nia said while demonstrating on her own device.

Ash did as Nia said, and smiled as a mic extended in front of his mouth, and then gasped as a Heads Up Display suddenly appeared before his eyes. He could see bars that represented Pikachu and Weavile's hit points, as well as Syngery Power levels. There was also a timer, and an icon that showed the status of each Battle Trainer's Support Pokemon.

"Wow. . . Science is so amazing!" Ash said in clear amazement.

"It's a lot to take in at first," Nia said sympathetically, "But trust me when I say you'll pick it up very quickly. Now, in Ferrum Battles, the first one to win 2 out of 3 rounds is the winner. Before each round, you need to pick which Support Pokemon you'll use, so go ahead."

Ash turned to Snivy and Oshawott. Snivy seemed to be giving Nia's team the stink eye, while Oshawott was jumping up and down in excitement.

"Alright, Oshawott. I choose you!" Ash said, much to Oshawott's delight.

"Okay, I'll choose Umbreon then," Nia said, to which Umbreon nodded dutifully. Nia brought her attention to Ash and said, "Okay, let's not have a real battle just yet. You need to get familiarized with the special moves that come with Ferrum Battles. Which I will be happy to demonstrate."

"Fine by me, Nia," Ash replied eagerly.

"Okay. Have Pikachu attack Weavile, and I'll show you the first one."

"Okay. Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

Normally, Pikachu would raise his tail and chant as he charged up a sphere of electricity. However, this time Ash and Pikachu's own combined reflexes, heightened by the Synergy Stone, caused Pikachu to swiftly swing his tail, sending out a smaller yet faster version of the attack.

"Wow, that was a lot faster," Ash remarked.

However, during a split second before impact, Weavile raised his arms and crossed them into an X. A blue, hexagonal shield appeared in front of him and blocked the Electro Ball.

"What? Weavile blocked it! But how? Was that Protect?" Ash asked in disbelief.

"Nope," Nia said smartly, "That was a Synergy Block. Just bring it up to block an opponent's attack. Your Pokemon will still take a little damage, but he won't be knocked down and he can't be knocked out. Now you try! Fury Swipes, Weavile!"

As Weavile ran in close, Ash directed confidently, "Alright. Block it, Pikachu!"

Pikachu imitated Weavile's block, and successfully brought the blue shield up. As Weavile hacked at it with Fury Swipes, Nia explained, "As you can see, the shield slowly turns red as it takes more damage. It'll break if you keep it up for too long, and that will leave your Pokemon defenseless." She smiled knowingly and said, "Also, there's one thing that blocking can't defend against. Grab him, Weavile!"

Weavile's claws went right through Pikachu's shield and tightly seized Pikachu's arms. Weavile pulled Pikachu's arms apart, jabbed him in the belly, then hopped back and used Double Team to turn into two Weaviles. Then, he dashed forward in the blink of an eye, seemingly slashing right through Pikachu.

Ash's eyes widened not only at the attack itself, but at how fast it had all gone down. "No way!" he gasped out after finally finding his voice.

Nia chuckled and said, "Pretty impressive, isn't it? Now you try."

Pikachu caught his breath and stood up tall, a look of determination on his face. Seeing this, Ash got fired up as well and said, "We sure will! Go for a grab attack, Pikachu!"

Pikachu turned and leapt at Weavile, throwing his arms around his opponent's waist. Then, he pressed his right cheek hard against Weavile's body and unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt into the Dark/Ice-type before jumping backward. Weavile fell to the ground, but got up quickly.

"Nice one," Nia said, "Now for the last special move: _Countering_. Go ahead and attack, Ash."

Ash nodded and extended his fist as he said, "Use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu leapt at Weavile and swung his tail at him. Weavile began to glow bright blue as he charged up an Ice Punch. When Pikachu's Iron Tail struck him, a glowing blue shield appeared around the Dark/Ice-type. Then, Weavile slammed his Ice Punch into Pikachu, knocking him down with increased power.

"Woah! And Pikachu's Iron Tail didn't do a thing to Weavile!" Ash said, noticing that Weavile's hit point bar didn't change at all.

"That's the power of a good counter attack!" Nia said cheerfully, "You ready to try it?"

"You bet!" Ash said eagerly.

Weavile used Night Slash, but Pikachu charged up electricity in his forepaws. Weavile's attack crashed against the blue shield, and Pikachu's counter attack crashed against him, knocking him down with a ring shaped burst of electricity.

"Well done! You've got a firm grip on the three special moves of Ferrum Battles!" Nia said, giving a short bit of applause, "But keep in mind that there's a rock-paper-scissors relationship between attack types. Normal attacks are beaten by counter attacks and blocks, counter attacks and blocks are beaten by grabs, and grabs are beaten by normal attacks. Pretty simple, right?"

Ash nodded, "Sure. It makes sense."

"Good. Oh, it looks like your support Pokemon is ready! Might as well try it out! Supports enhance your Pokemon, or disrupt or damage your opponent. Oshawott is a damaging type. Try him out as Weavile charges in!" Nia said.

Weavile backed up a few feet, and then advanced on Pikachu.

"Alright, Oshawott, come on out and use Hydro Pump!" Ash said as he threw the support capsule.

The blue capsule burst open with a flash of blue light, and Oshawott suddenly appeared on the battlefield. He blasted Weavile with Hydro Pump for about three seconds, and then teleported out of the battlefield with another flash of blue light. Oshawott blinked his eyes in confusion, apparently slightly confused that his time in the spotlight was so short.

"In an actual battle, you'd use this as an opportunity to get an advantage over your opponent," Nia said as Weavile stood back up, "There's a lot to deal with in Ferrum Battles. They're really fast paced and dynamic. In a way, they're kind of like Pokemon Contests in that you need to utilize dynamic moves and combos to get ahead of your opponent." Nia smiled eagerly and said, "How about we show you what we mean. Let's do it, Weavile!"

Weavile nodded, and he jumped up and used Icicle Crash to form an icy platform in midair. Then he jumped, kicking the platform so it smashed an inch in front of Pikachu. Then Weavile appeared to fly through the air, riding on the icy trail of an Ice Punch, before landing fist first onto the ground right in front of Pikachu.

Pikachu and Ash could only watch in awe as Weavile smirked and folded his arms and Nia smiled and nodded.

"I'm sure you'll come up with some great combos in no time," Nia said.

Suddenly, a large, glowing, spectral hexagonal prism appeared in the battlefield.

"What's that?" Ash asked in amazement as Pikachu stared at it with wide eyes.

"Aha, that's Synergy Power," Nia said, "It comes out when Pokemon battle. Pokemon can build up Synergy Power themselves through landing hits during battle, but they can also just run over and absorb it when it manifests on the field. Like so."

Weavile quickly ran over to the spectral prism, and the Synergy Power quickly moved into his body.

"As you can see, Weavile's Synergy Burst Meter is full," Nia said, referring to the flashing multicolored bar near Weavile's hit point bar. The advisor looked more excited than ever as she said, "And now, for what has to be the greatest part about Ferrum Battles!"

Suddenly, a huge, metal, robotic claw came down and smashed through the dome.

"What!?" Ash exclaimed.

The claw opened, revealing a tube in the center. Pikachu and Weavile cried out fearfully as they were both sucked up the tube with a strong vacuum force.

"What's going on!?" Nia shouted in disbelief.

* * *

_**Who's that Pokemon?**_

A bipedal, weasel-like Pokémon with a pale gray body and several feathery areas. It has a bright red crown and collar made of wide feathers, and a single, thinner feather on each ear. It has two tail feathers and three claws on each paw. There is a yellow, oval marking in the center of its forehead. Its eyes are red with three eyelashes, and four fangs protrude from its upper jaw.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_**It's. . . **_

_**Weavile!**_

"Uh-huh. Me and Nia are the best, I know. I can't wait to eat my Pokepuff and take my nap later. . ."

* * *

The people and Pokemon still on the ground looked up as the claw was pulled back up beneath a large, clear sphere, which now served as Pikachu and Weavile's prison. The sphere was attached to the bottom a Meowth shaped hot air balloon.

"Oh no! Not those guys, _again!_" Ash shouted exasperatedly.

"What do you mean? Who are they?" Nia asked urgently.

* * *

The white colored silhouettes of a man, a woman, and a short Pokemon could be seen in front of a swirling black hole in the starry universe.

"Listen up, lady, and lend us your ear," the woman said.

"The words that we say will fill you with fear," the man said.

"Burnin' through yer brains till our mission is clear," the Pokemon said.

The woman ran through a shower of a falling stars as she declared, "Shattering the security that you wish to feel." She then took a flying leap.

The man ran alongside a massive meteorite and said, "Strong as iron, cold as steel." He also took a flying leap.

The black hole emitted a burst of cosmic rays as the Pokemon ran forward and said, "An unrelenting force that forces ya to kneel." He then flipped forward.

The woman landed in front of violet fire and posed with a red rose in her right hand and her left hand on her hip, saying, "Jessie! The Spirit!"

The man landed in front of purple fire and posed with his arms folded and a violet rose in his mouth, saying, "James! The Heart!"

The Pokemon landed in front of golden fire and posed with his claws out, saying, "And Meowth! The Mind!"

The black hole suddenly collapsed and exploded into a white hole. The trio stood in front of it as a big red "R" emerged from the white hole.

"The fate of the world is in our pocket," Jessie said.

"Beg for mercy," James said.

"BECAUSE WE'RE TEAM ROCKET!" Jessie and James declared.

"That's right!" Meowth chimed in.

"Team Rocket?" Nia gasped, "Not the criminal organization from Kanto that steals Pokemon?!"

"And from what we've seen, these Pokemon will make the boss very happy indeed," James declared triumphantly.

Pikachu swung his Iron Tail, and Weavile used Fury Swipes repeatedly, but they couldn't even scratch the sphere that held them.

"Grr! Pikachu!" Ash called out, feeling helpless.

Oshawott wielded his scalchop and glared at the trio, while Snivy stretched her vines, prepared to act.

Nia, however, just stared up at Team Rocket. Then she smiled.

"Heh?" Meowth remarked.

"And what are you smirking at?" Jessie demanded.

Nia turned to Ash and said, "Well, this should make a fine finale to this Ferrum Battle demonstration!" She then looked up at Weavile and called out, "Weavile, are you ready?"

Weavile smiled back and nodded eagerly.

Nia tapped the side of her Battle VR and said, "Synergy Burst, GO!"

Weavile glowed with Synergy Power, and there was a huge burst of light that shattered the sphere, freeing the two Pokemon.

Team Rocket looked on in shock and disbelief.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out as he ran forward to catch his friend. Soon, Pikachu was safe in Ash's arms. "You okay, buddy?" he asked.

"(Sure!)"

Ash stared at Pikachu with wide eyes. Pikachu cocked his head, confused by Ash's facial expression.

"Pikachu?" Ash asked slowly.

"What the heck is going on?" Meowth exclaimed as he looked down at Weavile.

Ash and Pikachu's attention was brought to Weavile as well. Weavile had landed on his feet, and he was still glowing with Synergy Power. Weavile also seemed to have a thin layer of frost covering his body.

"This is the power of Synergy Burst!" Nia said confidently, "And now, for the grand finale! Go, Weavile! Synergy Burst Attack! Sonic Slash!"

Weavile's frosty body flashed, and his claws glowed with the power of Night Slash as he spun around like a tornado. Weavile rose up into the air until he was up to the same height as Team Rocket's balloon. His claws became purple energy, growing nearly as long as he was tall, and he slashed right through the balloon with the super-powered Night Slash as Team Rocket watched in horror.

One heart beat later, the whole balloon exploded in a spiky blast, launching Team Rocket skyward.

"And we though _Pikachu's_ attacks were bad!" Jessie exclaimed.

"If all the Pokemon in Ferrum are like that, then we sure got our work cut out for us this time!" James added.

"Well, if we do ever manage to catch one of dem, the boss better give us the biggest raises and promotions in Team Rocket history!" Meowth exclaimed, "But right now it-."

"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF _AGAIN_!" the trio shouted as they disappeared into the sky with a twinkle of light.

Weavile stuck a perfect landing and posed with a smirk, folding his arms and nodding.

"Great job, Weavile!" Nia said, "I'm gonna give you _two_ Pokepuffs!"

Weavile laughed and tapped his stomach with the palm of his right claw. "Wea-vile!" he said triumphantly.

"That was amazing!" Ash said as he ran over to Nia and Weavile, still holding Pikachu in his arms, "That was even bigger and better than a Z-Move from Alola!"

Nia smiled and said, "Thanks Ash! Synergy Burst Attacks sure are incredible, and before long, you and Pikachu will be pulling them off too!"

"Awesome!" Ash said, his eyes lightening up at the thought of it. However, he suddenly lost his enthusiasm for a moment when it turned to a look of uncertainty. He repositioned Pikachu in his arms so that he was face to face with him, and he asked, "Uh, you'd like that to, wouldn't you, Pikachu?"

Pikachu was very confused by the way Ash was acting, and he replied, "(Sure I would, Ash. Is something wrong?)"

Ash gave a cry of shock and said, "I don't believe it! I wasn't hearing things! I _can _understand you, Pikachu!"

Pikachu's ears stood up straight when Ash said this, and he said with wide eyes, "(_Understand _me? But. . . how?)"

Ash shook his head and said, "I don't know! But I-."

The exchange was interrupted by the sound of Nia's laughter. Ash and Pikachu turned to look at the Advisor, who stifled her laughter and said, "Oh, I'm so sorry. It's just. . . I was waiting for you to discover it yourselves. You see, the Synergy Stones inside every Battle AR allows the wearer to communicate directly with their Partner Pokemon. So, as long as you wear it, you can talk with any Pokemon you have a bond with. I can understand Weavile, and you can understand Pikachu. Incredible, isn't it?"

"That's. . . amazing!" Ash said with his biggest grins.

Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder and cheered happily, "(That's it! This will be our best Journey ever!)"

Ash smiled at his partner and said, "You got that right, buddy! You and me are gonna win it all together!"

Snivy and Oshawott cheered as well, and Nia and her Pokemon looked on with smiles.

"Weavile weave?" said Nia's partner.

Nia nodded and replied, "Yes. . . .I'm pretty sure they will."

**TO BE CONTINUED. . .**


End file.
